The Stripe Stripe Fiasco

The four members of the Stripe Stripe Fiasco refer to what they do as "skitzRock," and that's not far off: The ten high-powered, high-impact tracks on this release are indeed sonically schizoid, not to mention rockin' throughout. Divided between the eerie, relaxed vocals of multi-instrumentalist Rachel King and the deep, post-grunge snarl of Richard Schwering, the album centers on frank introspection and subtle, almost carefree melody grounded in intentional pacing. While tracks like "Burgundy" careen into a bittersweet diatribe, "Teeth" and "At Least" pull from the drama pop of acts like Elastica and Blondie with imaginative new narratives on messy relationships and stomach butterflies. Between reflections, Schwering and King play upon each other's strengths while experimenting with bass and drums to produce a consistently hypnotic, if occasionally overwrought, compilation of melodic ambition, goth-rock inspiration and emotional frustration.